The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-12-15
TAILED PREHISTORIC MAN
Discovery OF the Missing Link in the Mountain
OF Texas.

One hundred and fifty miles east of FL
Paso, via the Texas and Pacific Railway
and III twenty-five miles OF the road is the
new mining camp named CarriZO, where
he richest silver and copper mines in Texas
have rccc'tly been discovered. Immedi-
"tciy north Of CarriZO lies that famous
mountain range called the Diabolo OF
DcNil Mountain, towering over thousand
lCtl above the surrounding plain. Neal
inc summit, which is composed of lime
St2"c, are found numerous caves and tun.
nrl@, which extend for a distance of ten
miles, and some of them penetrate tn,
inouni,un IuIly 800 feet. Indian tradition
accounts Tor these caves as the abOdcs of
Sp'll@ or devils, and the extremely supcr.
"llI)u' Ap2ChcS gave the haunted DiabolC
M"uuial~ wide berth. Until very re-
Gently t@c dark, terrible and frownine
moHn! has never been explored by white
men, The n"madiC cowboy not caring to
seal" lis ruEgcd heights, nor face the super
Hull"uS awe which seemed to surround the
place ana take possession Of the intruder,
Sinre thc discovery Of silver there, how.
ever, llI2 more VrnturcSOmc miners have
PARTIALLY explored one long cave.
n. a. Osmcr an old fronticrsman. with
a s'iClll'iC Cnt of mind, was the first white
man 10 enter the sO-callcd habitaton OF
SpnUS With 4 tallOw candle and prospect
l"Gk, Ec penetrated the cave Il hundred
i"tl. bat dld not venture further. The
walls ~ the cavern bore numerous eyi.
drnc2S Of forn"' hahitaton. Stone i'm.
pigments, n)nc needles and pottery in cy
cciiCnt preservation were scattered here and
there IN the caves. CurcasscS of bears and
"thrf h'!5r animals were lying near q hcap
ol ashes. Ih" mold of ages lay deep on
the iloOr and Sides Of the cavern. Surely
. I,,, e A.
chli dWcIlrr O>mCr then with his pros.
prri Pick began digging in pile of dirt
amt WAS rewarded by unGurthing skeleton
ol &iSWllc prop0rtiOns First the skull.
then lhc VcrlcDraG We're brought to light.
But IN the meantime his candle had burned
low, and rather unncrvcd by the strange
spectacle and The hidcous moaning sound
| oi the wind as it waved through the awful
depths OF the gloomy old cave, which is
now The abode Of the mountain lion and
other icroCiouS beasts, OSmCr rctrcatcd tc
| dHyi.Ght, carrying with him the skull and
backbone
The Shull he found to be that of man,
he unitr iN% is of mammoth size. easily
receiving The mead of an ordinary man
within is sides. The teeth are enormous
morals or double teeth all around, and in a
perfect >.0lco preservation. The surprise
anU qualification were great in OSmer when
| ne examined the VCrtCbrac. 1t is of i'm.
ncnsc size, and the strange thing about il
Is ihli instead of terminating abruptly, as
in the ordinary man, it is prolonged for
| rIEht or ten inches beyond, describing a
graceful curve t. thCTc1r While The main
| VcrtchCac is firmly set the caudal append
| az" is flexible. At its iuncturc with the
backbone proper. at the usual location of
ihG rocyN, ii measures four and onc-hall
| inches wide, but ii narrows rapidly toward
the end. Considerable Of the tail has dis
appeared, probably by decomposition, but
sufficient remains 10 demonstrate beyond
doubt that ut last, the lOng-sought man
with tail has been found in the mystcr
Gus old cavern Of Northwest Texas. Mr.
OSmcr refuses all offers for his strange find
and keeps il closely guarded in his cabin,
allowing the curious visitor to sec his old
cliit-dwcllcr friend at all times. 1t should
he seen by scientific men, and examined
and perhaps the Darwinian theory will be
forever established beyond even the shadow
Of doubt. And it would in all probn
biity, be time well spent for the men OF
science to visit CarriZo and further explore
the prehistoric cavcrnS of the Diabolos.-
81. L""i$ P1StUiWUtch.